I’m a big fan of warm weather, but lately, it’s been a little too warm even for me. I know — it’s that time of year, often referred to as the Dog Days of Summer. Since it’s hot out and the grass isn’t growing much, I thought today might be a good day to talk about the “dog” days of summer.
I’ve heard the expression since I was a kid, but I didn’t know what it meant, or where it came from. I remember hearing that it just described hot, sultry days that weren’t “fit for a dog.” My grandmother believed that those hot days actually caused dogs to go mad.
Well, in case you’re interested, here’s what I found out about the Dog Days of Summer, courtesy of the Old Farmer’s Almanac….
The term “Dog Days” traditionally refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat. Today the phrase doesn’t conjure up such bad imagery. Instead, the Dog Days are associated purely with the time of summer’s peak temperatures and humidity.
The origin of the phrase is actually a reference to the stars, specifically Sirius — the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris — the “Greater Dog” — which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky.
But back to the Farmer’s Almanac….
Old-timers believed that rainfall on the Dog Days was a bad omen, as foretold in this verse:
Dog Days bright and clear
Indicate a happy year;
But when accompanied by rain,
For better times, our hopes are vain.
and…
Dog Days are approaching: you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog, there is o dependence upon him.
~ The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817
So we find ourselves in the hot, lethargic period of summer…. way back before air conditioning, dogs would find a cool shady spot to lie down, spending the heat of the day doing nothing, trying to stay cool. Humans did the same. Modern day air conditioning has changed that, but these are still the lazy, hazy days of summer. I like to think of them when I shovel snow….
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